Clash of Kings is a popular mobile real-time strategy game developed by Elex Wireless. Set in the medieval fantasy world of Westeros, it allows players to build their own kingdoms, raise armies, forge alliances and wage war against enemies.With its addictive gameplay, stunning graphics and social elements, Clash of Kings has earned a reputation as one of the top multiplayer strategy games. This full review will cover all aspects of this game including:
Gameplay and Core Loop
Kingdom Building
Troops and Warfare
Heroes and Equipment
Alliances and Social Features
Graphics and User Interface
Major Game Modes
Monetization
Tips and Strategies
Verdict
Let’s dive in and explore what makes this game so popular and addicting for strategy fans.
Gameplay and Core Loop
The core gameplay loop of Clash of Kings involves:
Building and upgrading your kingdom
Training armies and troops
Attacking enemies and taking over territory
Defending your kingdom from other players
Completing quests and events
Joining alliances for support
Kingdom Building
You start with an empty plot of land on which you must construct resource buildings like farms, quarries, mills etc. Higher level buildings generate more resources per hour which fuels further expansion.Some key buildings include:
Farms – Produce food to feed troops
Quarries – Generate stone for building upgrades
Mills – Produce lumber for constructing buildings
Iron Mines – Provide iron for training armies
Academies – Research technologies to boost economy and warfare
Upgrading buildings is essential to unlock new troop types and maximize resource output. You must carefully balance resource production and troop training to grow your kingdom.
Training Troops
Resources are used to train four types of military units – infantry, archers, cavalry and siege engines. Each unit type has strengths and weaknesses. For example, archers are strong against low armor targets but weak in close combat.You must maintain a balanced army composition to be prepared for any battle. Troops also need to be upgraded to increase their stats like HP, attack, defense and march speed.
Warfare and Conquest
The key objective is to wage war against enemies and conquer their territory to expand your kingdom. You can scout nearby rivals and launch attacks if your army is stronger. However, the defender also gets a chance to rally alliance reinforcements.Large scale wars require careful planning of attack routes, troop composition and timing. You also need heroes to lead your armies into battle. War rewards include resources, prisoners and equipment from the defeated.
Quests and Events
Completing daily quests and seasonal events gives resources, items and speeds up your progression. Events like Dark Knight Invasion or Dragon Invasion are team efforts that require alliance participation.The core loop involves growing your empire through smart resource management, military strategy and social teamwork. There is always something to do as you get drawn into expanding your kingdom.
Kingdom Building
Your kingdom serves as the foundation for generating resources, training troops, and researching technologies. Here are some tips for managing it effectively:
Specialize resource plots – Focus food production on farms, lumber on mills etc.
Maintain balance – Ensure you have adequate food, stone, lumber and iron at all times.
Upgrade warehouses – Increase warehouse capacity to store more resources and minimize losses from attacks.
City defense – Build and upgrade walls, traps, turrets and moat to improve security.
Worker efficiency – Increase worker speed, capacity and reduced resource consumption through research.
Craft gear – Use excess resources to craft equipment like armor and weapons.
The key is specializing plots based on type, maximizing warehouse storage, and keeping resources protected during war. Expanding warehouses is the best use of gems.
Troops and Warfare
Clash of Kings features over 50 unique troop types ranging from infantry and archers to siege weapons and magic creatures. Here are some tips for building your army:
Combined arms – Maintain a balance of infantry, archers, cavalry and siege units.
Counter units – Use spear infantry against cavalry, pikemen against elephants etc.
Upgrade barracks – Higher level barracks allow training of elite troops like Dragon Legions.
Research – Military research boosts HP, attack, defense and march speed of troops.
Heroes – Assign heroes as troop commanders to boost combat performance.
Healing – Use healing spells and potions to quickly replenish troop losses after battle.
Prisoners – Captured enemy troops can be conscripted into your army.
The key is having strength across multiple unit types, using counters intelligently and focusing on upgrades to boost your march.
Heroes and Equipment
Heroes lead your armies in battle and can equip gear to boost their skills:
Hero Types
Warrior – Frontline tank with heavy armor and shields
Archer – Ranged damage dealer with long range attacks
Mage – AoE damage spells to decimate groups
Healer – Restore HP and remove debuffs from troops
Gear
Weapons – Swords, axes, bows that enhance attack
Armor – Heavy or leather armor that boosts defense
Jewelry – Rings, amulets and crowns that provide attributes
Progression
Star ranks – Evolve heroes to increase stats and unlock skills
Equipment crafting – Forge gear using resources and blueprints
Gear enhancement – Use materials to increase gear level and stats
Having a team of specialized heroes with upgraded gear makes a huge impact in battles.
Alliances and Social Features
Alliances play a major role in Clash of Kings:
Help speedup – Alliance members can help speed up your building and research
Alliance gifts – Request and send resources, speedups, pots and other gifts
Alliance store – Redeem alliance points for items like teleports and accelerators
Alliance war – Band together to attack enemies and occupy their territory
Being part of an active alliance provides progression benefits and security strength in numbers. Communicating using alliance chat and coordinating strategies is key.
Major Game Modes
Clash of Kings offers different modes of gameplay:
Campaign – Progress through provinces defeating barbarians and enemy lords. Unlocks new regions of the world map.
PVP – Directly attack nearby player kingdoms to plunder their resources and take over territory.
Alliance War – Massive alliance vs alliance battlefield for occupying castles and cities.
Hero Trial – Defeat waves of enemies and bosses using your hero team. Earn soul stones.
Dragon Invasion – Server wide event where players defend against waves of dragon attacks.
Civil War – Faction based seasonal event with alliance leaderboard rankings.
The variety of PVE and PVP modes provides new challenges and progression opportunities.
Graphics and User Interface
Clash of Kings delivers a high quality visual experience:
3D Environments – Detailed landscapes surrounding your kingdom bring the world alive. Zoom in seamlessly.
Building Designs – Unique architecture and animations for every structure. Walls and terrain adapt.
Character Models – Heroes, troops and lords have intricate detailing in armor and weapons.
Battle Graphics – Attacks, spells and damage numbers pop out in combat. Destructible environments.
Intuitive UI – Clean interface for managing kingdom, waging war and navigating menus.
The game performs well even on mid-range devices while taking advantage of high end mobiles to deliver console quality graphics.
Monetization
Clash of Kings monetizes through an in-game gem currency. Key options include:
VIP Levels – Purchase monthly VIP status for gems, speedups, resources and other rewards.
Bundles – Special packs focused on specific items like resources, speedups or hero growth.
Gem Buildings – Special structures that provide gems as hourly output.
Direct Purchases – Buying hero soul stones, gear chests or war boosts directly using gems.
Daily Deals – Discounted limited time packs refreshed daily.
While all items are achievable as free to play, spending accelerates progression at the cost of taking away some challenge.
Tips and Strategies
Here are some tips to progress faster in Clash of Kings:
Upgrade Resource Plots first for economy boost
Maintain a scout patrol to watch enemy movements
Craft gear rather than spending gems on equipment chests
Focus on 1-2 hero teams rather than spreading resources thin
Specialize alliance gifts requests as per current needs
Save teleports for emergency troop evacuations
Hoard speedups for Alliance War to quickly reinforce allies
Be judicious in attacking enemies to avoid overwhelming retaliation
Complete daily quests and events for free speedups and resources
Consider paid VIP status for the monthly gems and chest rewards
Verdict
Clash of Kings offers a highly polished and addictive multiplayer strategy experience. The kingdom building, deep combat tactics and social alliance aspects come together to deliver hours of entertainment.While the free to play grind may be frustrating for some, it is quite rewarding to progress over time. Gorgeous graphics, regular content updates and a thriving online community round off an overall excellent game.Clash of Kings is easy to recommend for fans of base building and warfare strategy games looking for competitive and cooperative multiplayer gameplay.
Download Guide
Follow these steps to download and install Clash of Kings on your mobile device:
Open Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your smartphone.
Search for “Clash of Kings”.
Tap on the Clash of Kings icon by Elex Wireless.
Tap “Install” to begin the download process.
Once installed, open Clash of Kings and allow the app all requested permissions.
The game will download additional resources the first time you launch it.
You can now start playing Clash of Kings and build your empire!
Clash of Kings is free to download and play, but offers in-app purchases for gems and items. Make sure you have an internet connection for this online multiplayer game. Enjoy raising your kingdom and conquering your enemies!